Product Quality Engineer

Location: McCalla, AL, US

About the role

The Quality Engineer is responsible for ensuring product, process, and system compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements throughout the product lifecycle. This role serves as the primary Quality Owner for assigned products and programs, providing leadership in quality planning, process validation, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement initiatives.

You will be joining a leading international group in the automotive sector with a clear commitment to innovation, a trail-blazer in Industry 4.0 and engaged with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria. This is an opening to build a career in a global environment with many opportunities to grow both professionally and personally by participating and leading innovative and international projects.

You will find a supportive and friendly environment where the emphasis is on team work, continuous improvement, trust, a dynamic spirit and thinking outside the box, and a passion for a job well done. You will be working with highly qualified professionals as Gestamp is committed to the ongoing training of our teams.

Responsibilities

• Review, deploy, and maintain all customer-specific requirements immediately upon release or revision and ensure process compliance at all times.
• Maintain complete oversight of quality performance, risks, customer requirements, and corrective actions throughout the product lifecycle.
• Verify welding parameters, qualifications, validations, and process controls according to approved standards, customer requirements, and production frequency requirements.
• Ensure application requirements for sealers and adhesives are validated during launch, after process changes, and through periodic audits according to control plans and customer requirements.
• Establish dimensional follow-up plans, review measurement results routinely, and initiate corrective actions whenever trends or nonconformities are detected.
• Conduct capability analyses according to launch requirements, engineering changes, customer requests, or annual validation schedules.
• Ensure PPAP packages are completed, reviewed, approved, and submitted before customer deadlines and prior to production release.
• Review and update all quality documentation (PFMEAs, Control Plans, Process Flow Charts) whenever process changes occur and perform formal reviews annually at minimum.
• Conduct regular process verification activities and immediately address any deviation between documented requirements and actual practice.
• Provide accurate and professional responses within customer-established response times and maintain communication until closure.
• Implement immediate containment, identify root causes, define corrective actions, and submit responses within customer-required timing.
• Trigger containment actions within 24 hours of issue identification and communicate status updates according to escalation procedures.
• Verify corrective action effectiveness within defined validation periods using objective evidence and performance metrics.
• Monitor all open customer concerns weekly and ensure timely closure according to customer and internal requirements.
• Perform product audits according to established schedules and ensure findings are documented, communicated, and closed within target timing.
• Conduct layered, process, and system audits according to the annual audit plan and follow up until all findings are effectively closed.
• Prepare documentation, evidence, and action plans for customer, IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and corporate audits.
• Develop corrective action plans within established deadlines and verify effectiveness prior to formal closure.
• Review KPIs weekly and monthly, identify adverse trends, and implement improvement plans when targets are not achieved.
• Ensure segregation, identification, disposition, and corrective actions are completed immediately upon detection of nonconforming material.
• Complete all quality deliverables before implementation and validate process readiness prior to approval.
• Ensure welding, sealing, dimensional, inspection, and special process validations remain current and compliant with customer standards.
• Lead projects focused on reducing defects, customer complaints, scrap, rework, and quality costs throughout the year.
• Participate in regular production reviews and communicate quality risks, concerns, and required actions to management.
• Deliver training whenever new requirements, process changes, or recurring quality issues are identified.
• Maintain documentation and process compliance continuously to ensure readiness for customer visits and audits at any time.
• Coordinate with Supplier Quality and suppliers to address incoming material issues that impact customer quality performance.
• Conduct monthly verification of critical quality controls, error-proofing devices, inspection methods, and special characteristics.
• Maintain compliance through regular assessment, auditing, and continuous improvement activities.

Requirements

• BS in Engineering, Industrial Technology, or other technical discipline plus 2 years quality experience in a stamping/robotic assembly environment, or
• AS in Engineering Technology plus 4 years experience in a stamping/robotic assembly environment, or
• 7+ years experience and training in a similar role and environment.
• Strong knowledge of GD&T and SPC.
• Knowledge of quality tools/techniques (APQP, PPAP, ISO/TS, Problem Solving).
• Ability to work in a team-based lean manufacturing environment.
• Moderate to advanced computer and Microsoft Office skills.
• Data analysis proficiency.